Mowing B7610 needs repaired after simple field mowing

bmwrdr · Jun 18, 2008

I had my FEL on knocking down the weeds as well, but apparently it wasn't enough. I put together a little shield yesterday with some sheet aluminum and tie-wrapped it under there. I don't think it needs to be much, just something to keep the grass from getting up there.

TomC · Jun 18, 2008

Sorta reminds me of another Japanese product. My 2000 Honda Accord. Managed to strip a $2 wheel stud. Cost to fix quoted by dealer $350. They have to take the hub and steering knuckle apart and in the process will require a new bearing and alignment. Piss poor design; or, savy marketing?

Hvytrkmech · Jun 19, 2008

TomC said:
Sorta reminds me of another Japanese product. My 2000 Honda Accord. Managed to strip a $2 wheel stud. Cost to fix quoted by dealer $350. They have to take the hub and steering knuckle apart and in the process will require a new bearing and alignment. Piss poor design; or, savy marketing?

You getting the shaft, it can be done on the car without dismantling anything except the tire and brake caliper, take it somewhere else. and in some cases you don't have to pull the brake caliper.

Bob_Young · Jun 19, 2008

Been thinking about this thread and it puzzles me a little. I bush hogged a couple of acres of high switch grass with my B7610 with no problem. Was really down in the stuff and had some small ash and sumac to contend with also. Can't remember for sure whether the FEL was off or on, but think it was on the tractor. Being as long as it was, the the switch grass sorta lies down once the FEL or front axle pushes it over. Maybe this is an issue only with grasses of certain types or certain lengths.

Having larger equipment on hand, I've stopped bush hogging with the B7610. It's far too slow and tedious. The bigger tractors get it done quicker with less drama.
Bob

TomC · Jun 19, 2008

Hvytrkmech said:
You getting the shaft, it can be done on the car without dismantling anything except the tire and brake caliper, take it somewhere else. and in some cases you don't have to pull the brake caliper.

The point is; his tractor dealer/manufacturer and my car dealer/manufacturer are more interested in separating us from our money rather than providing a less expensive but adequate fix for a problem that should have been anticipated in the design stage of the aforementioned vehicles; especially for something as likely to happen as a grass problem and a broken wheel stud. So, the design engineers either didn't care (lack of foresight) or; it's intentional vertical marketing; e.g. when it breaks (and it will) we can sell them the fix.

eddieirvine · Jun 19, 2008

This is bull xxxx you need to keep calling until you find someone with enough intelligence to go to bat for you and admit it is a design problem this is something they know is a problem and should fix it by not allowing anything at all to get to the drive shaft. One other thing I was a machinist for 35 years if you could send me a picture of where this seal is at I am guessing you could get it out like we used to on allot of applications, all you need is an inexpensive slide hammer they come with different types of ends on them what you want to do is take a sharp point or very small chisel tear a portion of the seal on two opposite sides accross from one another insert a hook tool on the slide hammer and keep working it from one side to the other and the seal will come out it does not matter if you destroy it getting it out you are going to replace it with a new one, I am going to guess the drive shaft will have to be dropped down but that should not be a bad job if you have any questions let me know Eddie

bmwrdr · Jun 20, 2008

Thanks, but it's too late now. I suspect it would have been possible to get the seal out, but the problem is the driveshaft. That's why the tractor had to be split. I don't see why they would not have a cover of some sort for the driveshaft similar to other parts that are spinning and are exposed to tall grasses/weeds.
Thanks everyone for the support. I posted this primarily to warn others that work in tall grasses/weeds you may want to create some short of shield to prevent the grasses from wrapping around the spinning driveline and costing $$. Besides that, I do really like the tractor.

N80 · Jun 20, 2008

bmwrdr said:
After speaking to the CSR, I'm very disappointed with Kubota's response. He said this is condition related problem and would not be covered under warranty as it is not a defect.

I totally disagree with this. If the tractor is made for mowing, and it is, then it should be able to mow without destroying itself. Technically, it might not be a defect per se, but it is a design flaw and that is hardly the fault of the owner/buyer.

There are really only two ways of looking at this. It is either a Kubota problem, which include the dealer and everything above him or it is an owner problem. It is only an owner problem if there was negelct or abuse. We only have the owner's side of the story but I have not heard anything which constitutes abuse or negelect.

Now, if the owner's manual specifically says not to mow in high grass, or to check the shaft every few yards, then that's another story. Then it would at least in part be an owner problem....but still a design flaw.

Tractors mow grass. A B7610 is a tractor. It should be able to mow grass.